At least 700 being held over terror links, SC told
The Supreme court of Pakistan.—Reuters (File Photo)
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Thursday expressed dissatisfaction over the report submitted by the Secretary Fata during a hearing of the Adiyala ‘missing persons’ case.
A three-judge bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, heard the case pertaining to the missing prisoners.
During today’s hearing, Attorney General Irfan Qadir revealed that security agencies are holding at least 700 people indefinitely without trial in connection with the “war on terror”.
He said none of the suspects could be freed until the end of operations in the tribal belt, and declined to say how long they had been in custody.
“There are about 700 people detained in the tribal areas and they cannot be released until the ongoing military operation in those regions concludes,” Qadir told the court.
“The detained men can be handed over to authorities only after the operation is halted in the tribal regions.”
He also said that the detainees would be tried under the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR).
The Chief Justice asked the attorney general as to how the case would be tried under the FCR and questioned him over the basis upon which the prisoners were detained.
“These people cannot be kept in illegal custody for an indefinite period because it is against the constitution and basic fundamental rights,” said the CJ.
“We don’t say you should release them… we want you to try them in accordance with the law,” he added.
The attorney general replied that the prisoners were held from areas under the state of war and hence they would be tried under the FCR.
The CJ, giving his remarks, said that the prisoners should be released on their own as there would be implications in case the court issued orders which prompted the attorney general to request time to find a way out for the prisoners.
The case was subsequently adjourned until January 28.
The 11 prisoners in the said case went missing from the gate of Rawalpindi’s Adiyala Jail on May 29, 2010 after they had been acquitted of terrorism charges pertaining to their alleged involvement in the October 2009 attacks on the Army General Headquarters and the Inter-Services Intelligence’s (ISI) Hamza Camp in the garrison town.
Later, four of the 11 died in mysterious circumstances. The Supreme Court forced the ISI and military intelligence to produce the remaining seven men in court on February 13 — an unprecedented move. The men, all in deteriorating health, were sent to the Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar on court orders. After five of them recovered, they were shifted to an internment centre in Parachinar.
Good job. Pakistan for future peace, progress and prosperity for the Pakistan and the world.
Seven hundred ? they must be joking. There are thousands of people mostly innocent civilians picked during the notorious and infamous on going operations where people are killed daily under the watchful eyes of the security forces. The fact of the matter is the terrorist strike in one place and kill the innocent people and then instead of going after the terrorists, the security forces just go to the already peaceful areas and harass, abuse and torture people and pick them under the label of talibans. The chief justice should come to the tribal area and see for his own and listen to the people for himself and see how they are the target of security forces and taliban alike while there is no hope from any side. The recent example is the killings of 21 levees soldiers in FR Peshawar area which happened in Hassan Khel sub area. But the security forces instead of going after the terrorists who are still present in the area, and local people just can not open their mouths, they raided Bashi Khel and Sambe Khel , who are involved in mutual mutiny for for the last 70 years. Nearly 30 innocent villagers are picked from these two villages and their whereabouts is not known. The chief justice and all responsible authorities must take notice of such barbaric and inhumane treatment of the peaceful tribal people and bring to justice all those who are carrying out such operations. People are now just wondering if security forces and talibans are just two evil faces of the same thing. For God sake someone should take notice of this before it is too late.
The CJP is partly to blame for the freeing of terrorists after they are arrested because he has suggested no measures where such persons could be convicted of terrorism related crimes because no one dared give evidence against these terrorists . Even in USA , the govt can detain persons suspected of terrorist links indefinitely . I feel the CJP should be more pragmatic and help the forces in eliminating terrorism rather than create hurdles and assist the captured terrorists.
let CJ take charge against TTP and other terror groups. Why army and his jawans are suffering when there is no one to appreciate their sacrifices.
Guilty should be punished. Innocent should be released with compensation. This is what justice demands